Navjot Singh Sidhu, seen as the big contender for the top post in Punjab since he joined the Congress and the architect of much turmoil over it, refuted the perception a day after Rahul Gandhi named Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi as the party's candidate for the job. "I did not join the Congress for a post, I gave up the post," he told NDTV in an exclusive interview. Then he went on to say that the whole question of Chief Minister becomes irrelevant if the Congress does not get 60 MLAs in the assembly.
"If you don't get 60 MLAs, where is the CM? So, please, please, do not put the cart before the horse," Mr Sidhu told NDTV when asked about the MLAs not coming forward to support Mr Channi.
Asked if he was unsure about the election results, he shot back, "Nothing is sure in politics".
Citing the example about the expectations about Aam Aadmi Party's victory in the 2017 elections, he said: "Last time, you were the ones who were harping, 110 seats to AAP. What happened? This the people of Punjab will decide... If we have 60 MLAS, we will choose CM. If we do not have 60 MLAs, the whole thing turns. Then whether somebody else forms the government or it a hung assembly, is in God's hands".
On whether the numbers can be met through alliances, he said, "Not about we could".
"We are there to convince the people of Punjab through an agenda, through a roadmap, that we will deliver. There will be no hollow promises," he said.
Asked if he was taken aback when Rahul Gandhi made the announcement on Sunday, he said, "Why would I? Do you need a post to change people's lives? Did Mahatma Gandhi have a post? Did Vinoba Bhave have a post? All those who fought for Narmada, did they have a post?"
"There is no permanent name and fame," he added.
Since he joined the party from the BJP ahead of the 2017 polls, Mr Sidhu has been in collision course with two Chief Ministers -- Amarinder Singh, who was unseated after a year-long tussle with Mr Sidhu and his successor, the current Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
Asked if he has made peace with the party's decision or he still felt that justice was not done to him, the cricketer-turned-politician said, "I have always believed that Rahul-ji Priyanka ji-and Madam Sonia will make judicious decision".
Underscoring that he had no regrets about what is now past, he cited a superhit Bollywood song by Asha Bhonsle – "Aage bhi jaane na tu".
At a virtual rally in Ludhiana on Sunday after weeks of infighting between the party's two top leaders, Rahul Gandhi had announced the name of Mr Channi as "people's pick".
Making it clear that it was not his decision, Mr Gandhi said, "I asked Punjab's people, youth, members of working committee... Punjabis told us that we need a person who can understand the poor".
Today Mr Sidhu told NDTV that he is just sticking to his word. "I gave a word to Priyanka ji... that I will stand by them. I believe in that ideology. My father accepted Nehru ji's ideology. There was no intrusion in the party. But Rahul ji got me," he said.
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